North America Weather and Climate Topics

DISCUSSION: On Friday October 14th, a powerful storm pounded the Pacific Northwest and rapidly accumulated vast rainfall amounts in the northern corridor of Oregon. The Portland International Airport observed a staggering precipitation total of approximately 0.39 inches between 5:20 p.m. PDT and 7:53 p.m. PDT. Majority of the surrounding locations near Portland Metro experienced a swath of heavy rainfall which flooded low-lying areas and major highways (above imagery).

On Saturday, another coastal low-pressure system is anticipated to slam the Pacific Northwest between the late morning and early afternoon hours. The storm is likely to generate periods of intense precipitation and dangerous wind conditions for locations in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon. The NWS Portland Forecast Office has issued a High Wind Warning for October 15, 11:00 a.m. until October 16, 12:00 a.m. Between 11 am and 8pm, southerly wind speeds of up to 50 mph (near the Pacific coast) could potentially produce 75-90 mph wind gusts. Further inland, 25-40 mph wind speeds could still pose a devastating threat due to the possibility for 45-60 mph wind gusts in locations near Salem, Oregon (image below). To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across North America, be sure to click here!